There is no NEAM (National Epilepsy Awareness Month) without ME: This year’s theme is all about what you can do to support education efforts and awareness — on an individual level or as part of the epilepsy community. Without your collaboration and support, we wouldn’t be able to build a seizure safe nation, but together we can raise awareness and funding, educate the general public about the epilepsies and seizures, and push for more research to improve outcomes for you. Anyone can have a seizure and be diagnosed with epilepsy - anyone, anywhere, at any age. Over a lifetime, 1 in 10 people will have a seizure, and 1 in 26 will develop epilepsy in America. Despite these staggering numbers, epilepsy is largely misunderstood and grossly underfunded. It is time to educate ourselves and advocate for those we know, and those we don't yet know living with seizures.
At the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana, our advocacy priorities include:
Ensuring access to quality health care that is affordable, physician-directed, and person-centered.
Ending epilepsy-related discrimination and protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
Raising awareness and promoting education about the epilepsies.
You too can help make an impact and bring hope to those facing the challenges that come with epilepsy. This NEAM, join us in spreading awareness! Join us in #MyNEAMAction, a social media campaign to spread awareness in your community and hope you will share your epilepsy story as your action on your social media platforms.
Here are more ideas for your #MyNEAMAction:
Get Seizure First Aid Ready - The Seizure First Aid Ready On Demand training course is now available through epilepsy.com. This is a great resource that educates the public on the Epilepsy Foundation's basic procedures for responding to someone having a seizure. The Seizure First Aid Ready course, available online, anywhere, and at any time, is presented in an interactive eLearning format that includes animations, videos, and activities. After completing the course, participants will be able to recognize common seizures, identify correct and incorrect steps for helping a person having a seizure, and identify when it would be necessary to call 911 in the event of a seizure. Click here to access this 30-minute training course.
Take the #SeizureFirstAidCertificationChallenge - Take your epilepsy knowledge to the next level and become certified in seizure recognition and response. This program is offered by the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana twice a month, and our November dates are Thursday, November 10 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET and Tuesday, November 22 from 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET.This course will provides certification for 2 years and will cover recognition of and first aid for different seizure types, treatment options for epilepsy, when to call 911 for a seizure emergency, as well as how to best support a person who has epilepsy. Click here to register to be Seizure First Aid Certified!
Go Social To Encourage Action - Be sure to follow us on social media, change your Facebook profile picture, share your epilepsy story, and share life-saving information about epilepsy on all of your social media platforms throughout Epilepsy Awareness Month! Challenge your friends to do the same and be sure to use the following hashtags with your posts: #MyNEAMAction, #NEAM2022, #SeizureFirstAid, #SeizureFirstAidChallenge.
Become an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador - Epilepsy Awareness Ambassadors are passionate and dedicated volunteers tasked with virtually growing epilepsy awareness across their community. Ambassadors engage in monthly activities that promote all areas of the Epilepsy Foundation's mission to both people living with epilepsy and the general public. Choose your own volunteer opportunity based on your interests and availability. Click here to apply to be an Epilepsy Awareness Ambassador.
JUST FOR KIDS! Get Your Community Involved! We hope kids will be empowered to participate in National Epilepsy Awareness Month throughout November. There are so many things that you can do to help raise epilepsy awareness, such as:
Purple Shirt Day: Pick a day to wear a purple shirt or accessory to school and share the facts about epilepsy with your teachers and classmates. Invite others to join you ahead of time.
Get Creative: Use your artistic skills to create a poster or flyer with epilepsy facts and ask your teacher if you can post it on an announcement or bulletin board in your school building during the month of November.
Show Your Fall Spirit: Fall is here and pumpkins are everywhere! Raise awareness of epilepsy by painting your pumpkin purple so when people ask you why your pumpkin is purple, you can tell them all about epilepsy.
Share Information with Others: Ask your principal, teach, or coach if you can give a short presentation to your school, classroom, or sports team before or after the morning announcements or at practices/games. Talk about what epilepsy means to you.
Talk or Text Your Friends and Family: Work with your parents to call or text members of your extended family and friends and tell them how epilepsy has affected you or someone you know during the month of November. Encourage them to get seizure first aid certified by taking the Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana's Seizure First Aid Certification Program on November 10 or November 22.
Plant Purple Flowers: Plant or pot purple flowers, like mums or asters this November to honor people who are affected by epilepsy.
Paint the Town: Use sidewalk chalk to draw purple pictures and messages on your sidewalk and/or driveway throughout November in honor of Epilepsy Awareness Month.
